Demand for Trails and Routes - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 120

(2002) estimated in the early 2000s that approximately 17,000 people com-
plete the path each year and 50,000 use it for day walking or part-way hikes
(den Breejen, 2007), although this number is likely to have increased in the
intervening decade. One study (den Breejen, 2007) measured WHW users'
motivations and experiences in hiking the trail (Table 4.15).
The study found that WHW hikers were overall seeking a self-enhancing
experience in nature and that the relationships between the expected out-
comes, the importance factors and the reasons for walking the trail were
important. 'The strong relationship that walkers forge with their surround-
ings and the expected sense of achievement they attain from completing a
multi-day, challenging walk are variables that largely appear to determine
the reported upward trend in experience' (den Breejen, 2007: 1426). There are
many personal and situational variables that motivate people to use a long-
distance footpath, including self-improvement, reflection and escape, as well
as the amenities of the trail itself and a sense of adventure.
Wine tourists follow viticulture/wine routes for a number of reasons, but
foremost of these tends to be a desire to learn about wine and its production,
as well as to sample various wines (Bruwer, 2003). Hall and Macionis (1998: 198)
suggest that consumers participate in wine routes for several reasons, includ-
ing sampling and buying, participating in events and festivals, socializing
with friends and family, enjoying a rural setting, enjoying other nearby attrac-
tions, learning about wine-making, dining at a winery, touring a winery, and
meeting winemakers. Wine route travelers tend to be wine aficionados and
require certain features to have enjoyable experiences. These include quality
of wine, overall wine experience, nice attractions along the route, access to

Table 4.15 Motives and infl uential factors for hiking the West Highland Way, Scotland

Expectations Importance factors Reasons for deciding to walk

the WHW

Mental relaxation Explore new places Scenery and landscape

Get away Meet likeminded people Good walking opportunity

Challenge oneself Quality time with

friends and family

Well marked path

Feel close to nature Seek esteem from others Quality standard of the path

Feel in control Challenge oneself A recommendation

A sense of accomplishment Mental relaxation The challenge/experience

Escape from daily
routine

Avid long-distance trail
walker

Enjoy nature Discover new places

Feel stimulated Total length of the trail

Feel a sense of freedom

Source: Based on den Breejen (2007: 1423).